In collaboration with materials company Homerun Resources, Inc., UC Davis engineering researchers have developed a one-step laser technique that purifies raw silica sand to over 99.99% silica. This is the first step in a multiphase project to create a clean-energy pathway to producing silicon.
Mingwei Zhang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at UC Davis, has been awarded nearly $1 million for groundbreaking research on refractory complex concentrated alloys as next-generation structural materials for ultra-high-temperature applications.
The American Ceramic Society has honored the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering with the 2025 James I. Mueller Award for his 50-plus years of service to the organization and his contributions to the international ceramics community.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus Zuhair A. Munir, has been named a Distinguished Life Member by the American Ceramic Society. Munir is recognized for his pioneering work on the use of electromagnetic fields in the synthesis and processing of materials.
New UC Davis alum Hannah Darr is ready for the next step in her journey in sustainable energy sources, thanks to the support and guidance she found in the materials science and engineering community.
Researchers from UC Davis and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed deep-learning model ensembles to investigate the magnetic properties of perovskite oxide multilayers and gain key insights into how they might be used in next-generation electronic devices.
After a decade in the film industry, Zachary White, a new alum of the UC Davis College of Engineering, talks about returning to school to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming an engineer.
UC Davis Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Klaus van Benthem has been recognized for his research in studying ceramic microstructures and his dedication to perpetuating the scholarship and field of ceramics by the American Ceramic Society.
Thanks to a foundation of community formed at UC Davis, graduating materials science and engineering student Jared Ura is following in the footsteps of his engineer grandfather, aiming to dig deep and understand topics in their entirety.
The Dr. Andy Nieto Memorial Excellence Scholarship has been established at UC Davis to honor the late Andy Nieto and support first-generation undergraduate students pursuing materials science and engineering education.
The UC Davis College of Engineering's Jeffery C. Gibeling Master's Thesis Excellence Award is going to Margaret Duncan, who earned her master's degree in materials science and engineering in 2023 and whose research characterizes the optical properties of refractory materials in extremely high temperatures.
With a Seed Grant for International Activities from UC Davis Global Affairs, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Yayoi Takamura is collaborating with researchers from Chile to use plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition to synthesize and characterize thin films for sustainable energy technologies.
Alumna Anna Shelyug studies materials from a thermodynamic perspective, a pursuit that was strengthened during her time conducting research at the University of California, Davis. Once curious about the workings of the world as a child, now she uncovers answers for herself.
Tanaya Sahoo, a second-year international graduate student in the materials science and engineering master's program, aims to deploy advanced, sustainable technologies to solve real-world problems.
Two Ph.D. candidates in materials science and engineering at UC Davis will reside at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to conduct research as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.
Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Scott McCormack is part of a multi-university team awarded $7.5 million over five years from the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, or MURI, program.
Through teaching, mentorship and outreach, the assistant professor champions accessible materials science education, emphasizing real-world connections and hands-on experiments to inspire future scientists.
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering recognizes women in engineering, their journey to and in the field, and how they promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive world.
Meet some remarkable women in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and learn how they inspire inclusion in engineering.
As editors and members of editorial boards for academic journals, materials science and engineering professors at UC Davis are contributing their expertise and knowledge to influence the field and stay on trend with the newest, cutting-edge research.
New research published in Physical Review Letters shows how an experiment with lasers and magnets resulted in the domain walls within ferromagnetic layers moving at previously unheard-of speeds, paving the way for more sustainable and energy-efficient data storage.
Equatic, co-founded by UC Davis materials science engineer Erika La Plante, was recognized for its cutting-edge technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and creates hydrogen, a clean energy alternative.
Materials science and engineering professor Marina Leite has received $1 million to make switchable photonic devices more efficient with hybrid perovskites, a class of materials with physical properties that can be controlled through light alone.
"I find Professor Mukherjee's legacy to be very inspirational," said Ph.D. student Hudson Shih, who was recently honored as the first-ever recipient of the Amiya Mukherjee Memorial Fellowship, named for the late Distinguished Professor who paved the path for materials scientists at UC Davis.
It is with great sadness that the Department of Materials Science and Engineering announces the passing of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Subhash Mahajan. He is remembered in the community as a gifted mentor and generous friend and colleague.
Mahajan was considered one of the foremost experts on electronic materials and slip and twinning phenomena. His research focused on understanding the interrelationship between structure properties in semiconductors and the deformation behavior of solids.
Terry Lowe '78 credits his UC Davis education with shaping his life. His thoughtful approach to mentorship and pioneering achievements in materials science and engineering led him to receive a 2023 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal.
